A major games publisher is getting involved with blockchain gaming

The publisher of the Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy games announces the jump to blockchain…

Expect across 2019 more and more videogame companies to examine the potential of blockchain technology, and potentially use it in their games.

We saw the first signs of this in 2018. TRON launched a sizeable fund to develop blockchain games, whilst the Atari name and its titles have been licensed too (a blockchain-based version of one of its classic hits, Rollercoaster Tycoon, is on the way for a start).

Now, though, comes the news that Square Enix is taking the plunge into blockchain game. Square Enix is the publisher behind games such as the Final Fantasy, Tomb Raider and Kingdom Hearts series of titles. And in a letter to its investors, it’s revealed that it’s embracing blockchain as part of its strategy for 2019.

It wrote that “with the subsiding of the cryptocurrency bubble, the use of blockchain technology has spread to a variety of non-cryptocurrency domains as well”.

“One has been the gaming space, where there have been some interesting developments with games and game platform services using blockchain technology. We are also very interested in potential applications for blockchain technology in the digital content space”.

As things stand, the company’s announcement is light on detail, and it’s unclear whether the firm is looking to bring any of its big-hitting titles to blockchain in some form. But this is nonetheless a very big name in the gaming industry that’s joining this particular sector of the market. Don’t be surprised if others quickly follow in its path.